Soft Targets, by Carson Winter

Soft Targets is an absurdist horror novella, the new proposal from Carson Winter. And it goes directly to debate one of the burning themes of American society, as is the easiness of getting a fire weapon by individuals whose mental health might not be in the best state; all using a story with an interesting proposal, which I don't expect to make people feel indifferent.

“If you found out that there were days you could do anything, that nothing mattered, what would you do?”

Our two characters are fascinated by the aspects of mass shootings, and partly, they fantasize about the possibility of living one. The relationship between Ollie and our unnamed narrator is good, and they decide to go live together. Existence is quite normal until Ollie discovers that there are some days that matter more than others; and in fact, those other days literally don't matter, and whatever happens is non-existent in the grand scheme of reality.

Once they establish those days are in fact a sort of Groundhog Day, we are spectators of how Ollie and our narrator start transgressing the limits, until once they cross the final line; and it's just a matter of time until they use one of those days to commit a mass shooting. Winter uses this kind of structure to create a debate, creating characters that are violent lovers, but who are only restricted by the fear of consequences.

Using an unnamed narrator is also an interesting resource, as I feel it creates an effect of immersing you more in the novella, putting you in the shoes of Ollie's friend. We can clearly see how both of the characters are in a bad mental state, but nobody does anything to stop them, not even themselves.

Soft Targets is a brave novella, one that forces us to look at the worst aspects of a controversial aspect of American society. I felt kinda conflicted while reading it, as it isn't conceived as a pleasant experience, but more as a reflexive one. Totally recommended if you like horror.